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You know for every so called "Expert" you find that says one thing you can find others that say something different. I have brewed many batches of beer over the years anything from pale ale to stouts and many styles in between, both extract and all grain, they all have one thing in common. I...

The only thing I have done to a kit is add a bit of extra oak, aside from that I go right by instructions and have been very happy with every batch. PS: I too use a brake line bleeder for degassing, you'll need a glass carboy for that. Plastic will collapse.

I would include the crystal myself but that is me, everyone has their own taste.

I get 3 to 4 on a 20lb tank but just like the others I always keep an extra tank full, and yes I have ran out in the middle of a boil and thankfully I had the spare.

and you steep grains before the boil, not at 30 minutes, maybe for 30 minutes.

Yep, I used neutrient and energizer in mine, I started with 64 oz. of lemon juice and 8 pounds of sugar. I used EC1118 yeast. Didn't make a starter but I did rehydrate. I used the skeeter Pee recipe

If it were me, I would skip secondary and go to clearing and degassing (still requires racking). It is most likely done fermenting by now.(check with a hydrometer of course)

Mostly correct. Not all hydrometers are calibrated at 60*, so check your specific hydrometer to be sure.

I found that I have to dry the stopper and inside lip of my carboys to get the stopper to not pop out.

what kind of yeast? what temp? did you rehydrate the yeast? you might try making a starter.

I use vodka myself, the small amount of Starsan in the airlock wont hurt a thing. It is food grade acid, that is why you don't have to rinse it off when using it.

I have, out of necessity, racked to a bucket, cleaned my carboy, then racked back into it for clearing. As long as you finish out the fermentation,bottle bombs will not be an issue.

Why would you pasteurize wine? Ferment it out then transfer to secondary, let it clear, maybe add some K-meta and bottle. If you are going to pasteurize because you are afraid the must might be contaminated, do that before you ferment, or just add some campden tabs and wait 24 hour to pitch your...

Same here, never a problem settling out. I use a coffee grinder on them.

Been using my municipal tap water for years, makes great beer and wine.

This is my 8 gallon fermentation bucket (actually 7.9 gallons) it is perfectly smooth inside.

I second what Beergolf said, boil off rate has nothing at all to do with OG with an extract kit. Topped to 5 gallons it doesn't matter how you got there. the OG will still be the same. I am leaning toward the sample not quite mixed well enough so reading low, did you compensate your reading for...

OOPS I don't know why I thought I bought that yeast from label peelers I do buy stuff from them often. I actually bought it from http://www.homebrewing.org/ here is a pic of that pouch

I have what lazzlo has except mine is plastic, it is sold as a wine degasser but works great at mixing and aerating as well. I imagine the paint stirrer would have a similar effect.

Do it however you want I always rack into my fermenter so not much of the trub from the boil makes it out of the brew pot. I am happy with my brews.